Sunday, January 26, 2014

Psalm 13:1-6


Salutation

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Psalm 13:1-6[1]

To the Chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

How long will You forget me, Lord?  Forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take advice in my soul, [having] sorrow in my heart daily?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider [and] hear me, O Lord my God.  Illuminate my eyes, lest I sleep [in] the death; lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him;” [lest] those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.  But I have trusted in Your mercy.  My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.




[1] How often in life do we experience the feeling that God has forgotten us, or that He has abandoned us because of our sin?  David expresses such frustration as he flees from Saul.  The Ark of the Covenant and God’s Glory have deserted Israel and gone to live among the Philistines.  David cannot any longer go before God’s visible Presence to pray.  In his desperation he asks for the illumination of the Holy Ghost apart from the visible Presence.  David refers to Saul, who is chasing him, to kill him: but he also understands that Satan and his evil empire stands behind Saul.  This is why David sees his affliction as spiritual in nature, and not merely physical.  David closes, remembering that God has, in all reality, been very good to him, so he shows his gratitude in closing.

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